Chaos Heir

Chapter 1298: Copies

Khan knew the Niqols would continue catching up with him. They were bound to get even faster at it, and Liiza’s labor would provide a prolonged window of opportunity they could exploit.

Moreover, Khan’s attempts to delay and postpone that chase for the sake of the Nak’s mission had been for naught. His harmless interceptions had improved his reputation, but that didn’t help much since the Niqols were still searching for him.

Also, Khan couldn’t be sure of how far his message had spread. He was almost certain word of his requests had reached Doku, but the communication had probably ended there.

Khan didn’t blame the Niqols or Doku for that. They were simply following orders and were in the right. However, if Liiza’s Great-grandmother turned out to be on their side, Khan could use her to his advantage, killing two birds with one stone.

For starters, an evolved warrior was always a priceless asset. Khan was powerful, but his organization had a relative shortage of those superior beings at its disposal if he didn’t include the Thilku Empire’s forces.

Also, Liiza’s Great-grandmother was an Elder who had already shown support for her relationship back on Nitis. If she decided to help Khan and her for the sake of their baby, the Niqols’ stance toward the married couple might change.

Khan didn’t dare to hope for it, but the Niqols as a whole might become his baby’s caretakers while he was busy dealing with the Nak. That was the best-case scenario by far, but implementing it was challenging.

“[The Elders are quite far from my reach],” Deni revealed, half-apologizing. “[It’s possible, but I can’t know for sure].”

Khan’s political mind kept churning thoughts at that revelation. He didn’t expect much from Deni, but that approach remained worth pursuing. It was definitely better than continuing to fight the Niqols until someone lost their life.

‘What if Deni were to return to Nitis?’ Khan considered. ‘Could he contact the Elders at that point?’

Khan immediately discarded the idea. He was making plans on the assumption that Doku hadn’t relayed his request to the Elders, which could be false. The latter might have heard and rejected it.

Besides, Deni was no pilot. He had already risked dying while attempting to reunite with his daughter, and sending him away already didn’t sound fair, especially when the dangers of a solo journey were so great.

Sending Wayne with Deni to Nitis would create more problems than Khan could predict, and he needed Zalpa for Liiza’s labor, so that approach was simply unfeasible.

The alternative was more troublesome but also more reasonable and doable. The outpost Khan had ultimately chosen for Liiza’s labor was five weeks away, six or seven, at most, if the journey featured additional interruptions.

Even in the worst-case scenario, Liiza would have to spend at least two weeks in the outpost, which was long enough to bring a large number of Niqols to its doorsteps. Chances were they could create a proper siege around a structure that had no real way of protecting itself.

That development was simply unavoidable. The only alternatives featured even longer periods inside an outpost or the risk of not making it to one of those structures at all, forcing Liiza to give birth mid-flight.

The best option was still a compromise that would create problems, but Khan could bet on them. He could trust that the Niqols would attack or besiege the outpost and that their leader would be there.

‘Doku can stick to his orders when hearing reports from other Niqols,’ Khan considered, ‘But could he ignore me if we talked face-to-face?’

That vague strategy had nothing political about it. Ilman was a great friend, and the recent events had elevated him to someone far greater than that, but Doku still held a special place in Khan’s heart.

Doku had been Khan’s first real friend on Nitis, and the two had faced much together. Their different species had never gotten in the way of that relationship, and nothing about that had changed for Khan in those years.

Listening to something as unreasonable as feelings when making important decisions was far from wise, but Khan had never claimed to be intelligent.

Also, that whole mess stemmed from emotions that had persisted for ten years, so Khan wanted to believe Doku was still the same man from back then. He trusted that friendship had survived the passage of time, just like his love had.

That would actually be in the Niqols’ best interest. Khan could already picture the situation in his mind. Liiza in labor during a siege was the perfect fuel for Khan’s most extreme sides, and he knew exactly what he would do to keep her safe.

A cold hand reached for Khan’s cheek, diving higher until it grabbed his hair, pulling it. Khan had to snap out of his troublesome thoughts, meeting the white light that illuminated his face.

“[Remember where you are],” Liiza whispered, and Khan couldn’t help but divert his gaze, lowering his head to place it on her shoulder.

Realistically, the path forward was set. Khan couldn’t make more plans than he had already made. He had options, but they depended on the situation and how it progressed.

Instead, Khan now had something important at hand. The father of the love of his life was on his ship, and that required a proper welcome. Khan also had to catch up with Wayne, so all the problems in his mind could wait for later.

“[I’ll get a refill],” Khan eventually announced, kissing Liiza’s cheek and standing up, heading toward the control desk.

Liiza followed Khan with her eyes, and Deni couldn’t help but sigh at that sight. Truth be told, he had seen more expressions from his daughter that day than in multiple years.

That undeniable reaction and the white tattoos on Liiza’s arm set the matter in stone, and Deni couldn’t feel annoyed when she looked so happy. Yet, he had a minor gripe that the temporary break allowed him to voice.

“[Zalpa, did you host the marriage]?” Deni asked.

“[I did],” Zalpa groaned. “[They begged me to].”

“[I’m sure they did],” Deni said, smiling gently. “[Could you tell me about it? I regret missing it].”

Khan had returned by then, and the atmosphere was awkward but warm. He and Liiza ended up exchanging a knowing glance as memories of their vows resurfaced. Yet, that loving reaction was short-lived.

“[No],” Zalpa snorted, wearing an annoyed face, “[But you are still Lii’s father. I guess I can show you].”

“[Show how]?” Khan asked, unable to sit at that strange revelation.

“[What was that human’s name]?” Zalpa wondered in her hoarse voice. “Carl? Carlo? [I told the human to record the marriage. I have copies].”

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